My grandfather lived off of Lapsang Suchong, apparently. I haven't really tried it straight, but my Russian Earl Grey and Samovar teas (a "samovar" is apparently some manner of Russian tea service) are a blend of black and suchong teas, and I quite like them. Reminds me, I need to get more Samovar from the little store at the botanical gardens when I'm down south next. The guy there sells the same tea that I get from Blue Teapot, but Samovar is a blend his wife makes.

tea!

I love tea!!!

hate coffee though. Coffee is gross.

tea is good though! My favorite is green tea but I'll drink pretty much any kind of tea.

I have myself Earl Grey tea right now, regular old Twinings bag stuff. Nothing fancy but it's easier at work. I don't have to pick little odds and ends out of the ancient steeper we have here.

I love me some good coffee -- but it has to be GOOD coffee. Starbucks is the minimum acceptable coffee quality. Folgers is, if prepared correctly, better than one might expect (not fantastic, but acceptable). Cheap coffee like you get at most fast-food restaurants (and at some more expensive places) or poorly-prepared coffee (too much/too little coffee loaded into the machine, water too hot, allowed to steep too long/not long enough, kept hot instead of served immediately) are terrible.

I'm pretty plebeian when it comes to coffee, stuff like Starbucks being too strong, and I usually pack it with milk and sugar so it's more of a dessert thing. The exception was the coffee I had in Rome. Italians are big on their coffee.

Heavens, don't drink the beverage that Starbucks will serve you if you ask for "coffee." That's brewed in advance and kept hot in a dispenser until you buy it. Order an espresso-based drink like a latte or americano. That'll be much more like what you had in Italy. If you must buy "coffee" get something made in the Clover, but not every store has one. (They're fickle machines, break down easily.)

mmm, oh I love a good earl gray!

I don't drink tea, but I don't mind drinking brisk lemon iced tea or raspberry iced tea.

Chai this morning. Just bag Chai, but good enough. The best Chai I recall having was actually at my university during a random buffet fundraiser for a school in India in the Student Union building. $2 all you can eat Indian snacks! A student made it in a pot of milk with an online recipe.

If you want to get students to anything, offer them food. There was a poster hanging in the SUB hallway that said (more or less) "Free Pizza! Oh and while you're there, the will be speakers on what to do with an English degree."

hey, that would lure me in!

I love pizza. o.o

There was even enough left that I could take left-over up to my roommates. Hunting and gathering remains an applicable skill in college years. ;)

I just found a lip balm in "Earl Grey" flavor. Decided to get it and try it. Heavenly.. Tastes just like it. X3
I do love my tea. <3

that sounds delicious!

Bergamot goes nicely with chocolate, too.

I find it almost hard to believe that my dad can't tell the difference between a cup of Earl Grey and a cup of orange pekoe. I suppose some of it is maybe experience? I certainly can't tell much difference between the coffees I've tried, except for some tasting more burnt or more bitter than another; same with beer. I guess it's what people focus their taste buds on.

yeah, that's pretty much how acquired tastes work.